The HMA GUY Journal

Okay, let me start out by writing that I enjoy The History Channel. Or, as some call it, the Nazi channel, the war channel, or the hysterical channel. Well, my darling wife calls it by that last title. In any case, I prefer the somewhat long winded discussions to the latest offerings of say, Charmed or Buffy, The Vampire Slayer. I did really enjoy the short lived series Firefly, but that is for another time. Each to his own, I suppose.

One of the shows on The History Channel is R. Lee Ermey’s Mail Call (http://www.rleeermey.net/1index.php). Interesting show – if it were not for the fact that every single one of his questions came from the original Hollywood Military Advisor Chat Board on The Hollywoodnetwork. A little history of mine own – about four years ago I sent letters to Craig Haffner and Donna Lusitana of Greystone Communications. It seems the Greystone produces Mail Call as well as the majority of footage for A&E/The History Channel shows. My mail was nothing more than a letter advertising my services as a military advisor and directing them to my site and chat board. It was not a prospectus for a new show.

When Mail Call first appeared, I tuned in because I was curious. When the first question posed to Ermey was how do landmines work, I thought I have read this before. When the next question had to do tanks, I thought wait one minute. I went to my chat board and there they all were in order. Curious, that.

Instead of asking me whether I wanted anything to do with the show, Haffner and Lusitana just used all the questions that appeared on my chat board. Nothing I can do about the situation as the chat board was copy written by The Hollywnetwork and not by me. Oh well, such is life in Holyweird.

By the way, I am not bashing R. Lee Ermey. While I have never met the man, I am told he easy going, but very professional retired Marine. He has done well with the show and has showed the ability to popularize and make interesting some rather boring topics. Who I am bashing are the idjits at Greystone who took an idea I had pitched to and had accepted by The Hollywoodnetwork and made their own show without consulting the guy who came up with the idea. Hoo –Rah. Carry On.